Stretcher for boots and shoes



Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,432

w. WEISE STRETCHER FOR 5001's AND snoms Filed Oct. 16. 1924 Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

WILLY WEISE, OF BERLIN-MALCHOW, GERMANY.

STRETCHER FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed October 16, 1924. Serial No. 744,065.

To (ZZZ 11.41.0222. it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLY Verse, a citi zen of the German Republic, residing at Berlin-Malchow, Germany, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Stretchers for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

Stretchers for boots and shoes in the shape of lasts have become known. The last-shaped stretcher-s possess the inconvenience that they must accurately fit the shoe for which they are designed as other wise the shoe will either be stretched too much or not stretched sufficiently if the last is too small. When the shoes are wet they cannot sufficiently dry or evaporate as these lasts have large surfaces in contact with the shoe so that at these points the air cannot get at the leather. It has been proposed to avoid this inconvenience by arranging air holes in the last but the result was not satisfactory as the contact surfaces were still too great. It is further often difficult to remove the lasts from the boots or shoes, as the loops or other means fixed in the last were pulled off. The shape of the toe of the last must coincide accurately with the shape of the toe of the shoe as lasts or stretchers with broad toes are evidently not adapted to be used for shoes with pointed toes. As the shape of the toes of boots and shoes depends on fashion which changes very frequently lasts as stretchers for shoes are often useless.

The above mentioned inconveniences can never occur when the stretchers are constructed according to the present invention. These stretchers are not made from wood, sheet metal or similar material, but they consist of a wire frame elastic in every directionand capable to adapt itself to any shape of the shoe. The air has in the stretcher free access to the leather of the shoe at any points so that moist shoes can rapidly and uniformly dry while being stretched.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example, on the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a stretcher for elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows in plan view a toe of a shoe with the stretcher inserted.

The stretcher consists of a lower part 1 and of an upperpart 2 connected with one another by elastic loops 3 and 4. The lower shoes in side part 1 has approximately the shape of a shoe but is capable, owing to its elasticity to adapt itself accurately to the shape of the shoe into which it is inserted.

The upper part 2 is slightly broader than the lower part 1. Its front part comprises several windings 5, 6, which, together with the side wires 7 8 form toes 9, 10, 11. The windings 5 and 6 are slightly bent upward so that, as shown in Fig. 1, they form a kind of tongue 12.

When the stretcher is inserted into a shoe the toes 9, 10, 11 are pushed together or are made to overlap one another, owing to the elasticity of the windings 5, and 6 to such an extent as required by the toe of the shoe (Fig. 3). The tongue 12 bears strongly from below against the upper and supports the same, the side wires 7 and 8 stretching the side parts of the upper. As all the parts of the stretcher exert a spring like action the shoe is uniformly stretched and it can dry well when it has been wet as only very small surfaces are in contact.

The stretcher is cheap to manufacture as it is made from one piece of wire and has no soldered points. The ends of the wire are preferably connected the one with the other at the point of the lower part.

I claim 1. A stretcher of wire for shoes comprising in combination an elastic lower part approximately of the shape of the shoe, an elastic upper part designed to support the upper at the sides and at the top, elastic loops at the rear end connecting the upper part and the lower part and serving as support for the heel part of the shoe and as handle for the inserting and removing of the stretcher, elastic wire windings forming a toe part connecting the several windings which form the upper part, forming a part of the spring support of the upper part and being obliquely upwardly directed towards the rear part of the stretcher and serving as support for the toe and the top part of the upper of the shoe.

2. A stretcher of wire for shoes comprising in combination an elastic lower part approximately of the shape of the shoe, an elastic upper part designed to support the upper at the sides and at the top, elastic loops at the rear end connecting the upper part and the lower part and serving as support for the heel part of the shoe and as handle for the inserting and removing of port for the heel part of the shoe and as handle for the inserting and removing of the stretcher; several essentially parallel wire windings connecting the front ends ot the upper parts forming part of the spring support of the same and being obliquely inclined in upward. direction towards the rear end of the stretcher, all the parts made from one piece of Wire the ends of which are connected with one another at the toe part of the lower part.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VVILLY WEISE. 

